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SUNRISE, Fla. — The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament winner will be crowned at TD Garden in Boston next February.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association revealed details to their new international tournament, which will feature players representing the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden competing in a round-robin tournament from Feb. 12-20, 2025.

Four games will be played at Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens. TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins, will host two round-robin games — Canada-Finland and U.S.-Sweden — as well as the championship game Feb. 20.

“Two iconic cities. We thought it was important to have some exposure in Canada,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Saturday. “Obviously we have 32 franchises, so we could have put it anywhere, but those were the two that kind of rose to the top.”

The current North American NHL broadcast rights holders — Disney, Turner and Rogers — will carry the 4 Nations Face-Off games. On Feb. 15, 2025, ABC will have a doubleheader of Sweden-Finland and the highly anticipated meeting between the U.S. and Canada at Bell Centre.

ESPN will carry the championship game.

All games in the 4 Nations Face-Off will be played in accordance with NHL rules. Each team will play three tournament games in a traditional round-robin format, under the following points system: 3 for a win in regulation time; 2 for a win in overtime/shootout; 1 for a loss in overtime/shootout; and 0 for a loss in regulation time. The two teams with the best tournament record will then advance to a one-game final.

The first six players for each team will be announced June 28.

“The players are just absolutely thrilled about this, and the opportunity to get international competition again, kind of as a pre-tournament to the [2026] Olympics,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said.

The NHL and the NHLPA opted not to have semifinals or a consolation game before the championship game because of the short timing of the event.

“We’re doing this tournament in lieu of the All-Star Game. It’s an extended period of time, and we didn’t want to make it too extended,” Daly said.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is also noteworthy for who isn’t there. Bruins star David Pastrnak tweaked the NHL after Czechia won the IIHF world championship last month, posting a photo of himself holding the trophy with the caption: “Maybe Four Nation invite now?”

The tournament also doesn’t include Germany, home to Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, or Switzerland, which has several prominent NHL players.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that the time window for the tournament meant the field needed to be limited.

“We also wanted for this tournament, as we get ready for the Olympics and the World Cup, to be all NHL players. These four countries fit the bill better than any others,” he said.

Then there’s the ongoing issue with Russia, which was also left out of the tournament. The IIHF has banned Russia and Belarus from international hockey until 2025 due to the war in Ukraine.

“There’s only so much we can do under the existing circumstances as we see them,” Bettman said. “Whether it’s 4 Nations or World Cup, people are going to have opinions as to things we could have done differently. I think it’s fair to say that a lot of time and effort with the players’ association has led us to what we think is the best place for us to be right now.”

The NHL and NHLPA commented on several more league topics during the nearly 40-minute news conference:

Salary cap for 2024-25

The NHL and the NHLPA announced that the salary cap for next season will be set at $88 million, slightly higher than earlier projected.

The salary cap floor is $65 million.

“I know the general managers and the teams are excited to have more flexibility, and it means that the revenues are as robust as we’ve been telling you all along,” Bettman said.

“I predict that it will continue to go up. I believe we’ll continue to have robust growth in the cap.”

Walsh said he’s hopeful that the players will get back all of the money they’ve put in escrow this season in case NHL owners have a revenue shortfall. Escrow was set at 6% for 2023-24.

What’s next for LTIR

One way teams have gotten around the constraints of the salary cap is through the long-term injured reserve exemption. Teams such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have had players on LTIR, where their salaries don’t count against the cap, at the end of the regular season only to activate them for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Daly solicited feedback from general managers on the NHL’s executive committee in March on whether the league should investigate changes to LTIR rules. He said the majority that he has heard from would like to see LTIR rules addressed in some way but that “none of them thought it was a major competitive issue in the short term.”

Daly left the door open for negotiating changes to LTIR rules with the players in the next collective bargaining agreement. The current one has two years left.

No timeline for expansion

Bettman and Walsh both declined to offer a timeline for future NHL expansion.

“We continue to deal with expressions of interest. We’re not going to, at this point, unveil a formal expansion process,” Bettman said. “We are gratified by the fact that at least half a dozen places continue to express an interest in us.”

Both the NHL and the NHLPA were effusive in their praise of the league’s newest market in Utah, where the Arizona Coyotes relocated for next season. Smith Entertainment Group, owner of the Utah team, has received more than 34,000 season-ticket deposits since April 18. Season tickets for the team went on sale to the public Friday, and Bettman said the early returns are “extraordinarily robust” for the team.

“I think things are going even better than we could have hoped based on the short timeframe that they’ve had to work with,” Bettman said. “They’re literally drinking from a fire hose and they’re doing it unbelievably well.”

Walsh said the feedback from players has been uniformly positive.

“They’re finally getting a chance to play in an arena that they should be playing in,” he said. The Coyotes had played home games at the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena in Arizona.

Walsh was a vocal critic of the Coyotes, who called the college hockey arena home as they sought to construct a new NHL-sized building. But the NHLPA director said he’s fine with the NHL having brokered a relocation deal that allows Arizona owner Alex Meruelo to revive the Coyotes as an expansion team.

“It wasn’t personal,” Walsh said. “I mean, it might’ve sounded personal, but it’s not. I was representing my players. If he’s able to live by the terms of whatever they agreed on, we’ll see what happens.”

No update on Canadian quartet

Daly said it’s “status quo” for the four players charged in the sexual assault investigation of Canada’s 2018 world juniors hockey team and their pending free agent status. NHL players Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames, and Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils are all restricted free agents this summer and as such need qualifying offers from their teams to retain their rights.

“I’ve gotten a couple inquiries from clubs as of right now. The status quo would be that whatever rights the CBA had for clubs and players, we’ll adhere to that,” said Daly, who said he has spoken with the NHLPA about the issue. “It’s quite possible that clubs will have the decision of qualifying or not as of the end of this month.”

The players won’t go to trial before next season.

Outdoor game in Florida?

Bettman didn’t shut down speculation that the Florida Panthers, who hosted Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, could soon have a game inside LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.

After next season, the Panthers and Utah will be the only teams not to have participated in an NHL stadium game.

“I understand it’s very nice. It also has a roof and is air-conditioned,” Bettman said. “I’m not going to break any news today, but we are mindful of the fact that at some point it would be good for the Panthers to be in an outdoor game and so we continue to explore options.

“We did something a little different this past year by doing two games in the 24 hours in the same venue. We can only speculate what the future might hold in that regard.”

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Red Sox deal All-Star Devers to Giants in stunner

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Red Sox deal All-Star Devers to Giants in stunner

The San Francisco Giants acquired three-time All-Star Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in a stunning trade that sent a player Boston once considered a franchise cornerstone to a San Francisco team needing an offensive infusion.

Boston received left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and Rookie League right-hander Jose Bello.

The Red Sox announced the deal Sunday evening.

The Giants will cover the remainder of Devers’ contract, which runs through 2033 and will pay him more than $250 million, sources told ESPN.

The trade ends the fractured relationship between Devers and the Red Sox that had degraded since spring training, when Devers balked at moving off third base — the position where he had spent his whole career — after the signing of free agent Alex Bregman. The Red Sox gave no forewarning to Devers, who expressed frustration before relenting and agreeing to be their designated hitter.

After a season-ending injury to first baseman Triston Casas in early May, the Red Sox asked Devers to move to first base. Devers declined, suggesting the front office “should do their jobs” and find another player after the organization told him during spring training he would be the DH for the remainder of the season. The day after Devers’ comments, Red Sox owner John Henry, president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Kansas City, where Boston was playing, to talk with Devers.

In the weeks since, Devers’ refusal to play first led to internal tension and helped facilitate the deal, sources said.

San Francisco pounced — and added a force to an offense that ranks 15th in runs scored in Major League Baseball. Devers, 28, is hitting .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, tied for the third most in MLB. Over his nine-year career, Devers is hitting .279/.349/.509 with 215 home runs and 696 RBIs in 1,053 games.

Boston believed enough in Devers to give him a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in January 2023. He rewarded the Red Sox with a Silver Slugger Award that season and made his third All-Star team in 2024.

Whether he slots in at designated hitter or first base with San Francisco — the Giants signed Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman to a six-year, $151 million deal last year — is unknown. But San Francisco sought Devers more for his bat, one that immediately makes the Giants — who are fighting for National League West supremacy with the Los Angeles Dodgers — a better team.

To do so, the Giants gave a package of young talent and took on the contract that multiple teams’ models had as underwater.

Harrison, 23, is the prize of the deal, particularly for a Red Sox team replete with young hitting talent but starving for young pitching. Once considered one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Harrison has shuttled between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento this season.

Harrison, who was scratched from a planned start against the Dodgers on Sunday night, has a 4.48 ERA over 182⅔ innings since debuting with the Giants in 2023. He has struck out 178, walked 62 and allowed 30 home runs. The Red Sox optioned Harrison to Triple-A Worcester after the trade was announced.

Hicks, 28, who has toggled between starter and reliever since signing with the Giants for four years and $44 million before the 2024 season, is on the injured list because of right toe inflammation. One of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, Hicks has a 6.47 ERA over 48⅔ innings this season. He could join the Red Sox’s ailing bullpen, which Breslow has sought to upgrade.

Tibbs, 22, was selected by the Giants with the 13th pick in last year’s draft out of Florida State. A 6-foot, 200-pound corner outfielder, Tibbs has spent the season at High-A, where he has hit .245/.377/.480 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs in 56 games. Scouts laud his command of the strike zone — he has 41 walks and 45 strikeouts in 252 plate appearances — but question whether his swing will translate at higher levels.

Bello, 20, has spent the season as a reliever for the Giants’ Rookie League affiliate. In 18 innings, he has struck out 28 and walked three while posting a 2.00 ERA.

The deal is the latest in which Boston shipped a player central to the franchise.

Boston traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in February 2020, just more than a year after leading Boston to a franchise-record 108 wins and a World Series title and winning the American League MVP Award.

Devers was part of that World Series-winning team in 2018 and led the Red Sox in RBIs each season from 2020 to 2024, garnering AL MVP votes across each of the past four years. Devers had been with the Red Sox since 2013, when he signed as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He debuted four years later at age 20.

Boston is banking on its young talent to replace Devers’ production. The Red Sox regularly play four rookies — infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony and catcher Carlos Narvaez — and infielder Franklin Arias and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia are expected to contribute in the coming years.

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Ohtani to return to mound vs. Padres on Monday

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Ohtani to return to mound vs. Padres on Monday

Shohei Ohtani will make his long-awaited return to pitching on Monday night in a matchup against the division-rival San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced.

Ohtani, 21 months removed from a second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, will be used as an opener, likely throwing one inning. Because of his two-way designation, Ohtani qualifies as an extra pitcher on the roster, giving the Dodgers the flexibility to use a piggyback starter behind him.

That is essentially what will take place in his first handful of starts — a byproduct of the progress Ohtani has made in the late stages of his pitching rehab.

Ohtani, 30, initially seemed to be progressing toward a return some time around August. But he made a major step during his third simulated game from San Diego’s Petco Park on Tuesday, throwing 44 pitches over the course of three simulated innings and compiling six strikeouts against a couple of low-level minor leaguers.

Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was a “north of zero” chance Ohtani could return before the All-Star break. When he met with reporters prior to Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants — an eventual 5-4 victory — Roberts said it was a “possibility” Ohtani could pitch after just one more simulated game.

After the game, Roberts indicated the timeline might have been pushed even further, telling reporters it was a “high possibility” Ohtani would pitch in a big league game this week as an opener, likely during the upcoming four-game series against the Padres.

“He’s ready to pitch in a big league game,” Roberts told reporters. “He let us know.”

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What blockbuster trade means for Rafael Devers’ fantasy baseball potential

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What blockbuster trade means for Rafael Devers' fantasy baseball potential

If you’re just getting back home from your Father’s Day activities, you had better sit down, because Sunday evening’s Boston Red SoxSan Francisco Giants trade is a doozy.

Rafael Devers, second among third basemen and seventh among hitters in fantasy points this season, is headed to the Giants, traded minutes before their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boston’s return includes pitchers Kyle Harrison, who was the Giants’ scheduled starting pitcher Sunday night (subsequently scratched), pitcher Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and pitching prospect Jose Bello.

Expect Devers to continue to serve in a designated hitter-only capacity with his new team, considering his season-long stance, which is primarily an issue for his position eligibility for 2026. He might factor as the Giants’ future first baseman if given a full offseason to prepare for the shift to a new position — or it could happen sooner if he has a change of heart in his new environment.

As for the impact on Devers’ numbers, the move from Fenway Park to Oracle Park represents one of the steepest downgrades in terms of park factors, specifically run production and extra-base hits. With its close-proximity Green Monster in left field, Fenway Park is a much better environment for doubles and runs scored, Statcast reflecting that it’s 22% and 10% better than league average in those categories, respectively, compared with 8% worse and only 2% above par for Oracle Park.

Devers is a prime-age 28, with a contract averaging a relatively reasonable $31.8 million over the next eight seasons, and he’s leaving a Red Sox team where his defensive positioning — he has played all but six of his career defensive innings at third base — was a manner of much debate, to go to a team that has one of baseball’s best defensive third basemen in Matt Chapman (once he’s healthy following a hand injury). Devers’ unwillingness to play first base probably played a big part in his ultimately being traded, and it’s worth pointing out that one of the positions where the Giants are weakest is, well, also first base.

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Perez: Devers gives Giants a ‘really good offense’

Eduardo Perez, David Cone and Karl Ravech react to the Giants acquiring star 3B Rafael Devers from the Red Sox.

Devers’ raw power is immense, as he has greater than 95th percentile barrel and hard-hit rates this season. He has been in that tier or better in the latter in each of the past three seasons as well. He’s at a 33-homer (and 34 per 162 games) pace since the beginning of 2021, so the slugger should continue to homer at a similar rate regardless of his surroundings. He should easily snap the Giants’ drought of 30-homer hitters, which dates back to Barry Bonds in 2004. Devers’ fantasy value might slip slightly, mostly due to the park’s impact on his runs scored and RBIs, but he’ll remain a top-four fantasy third baseman.

If you play in an NL-only league, Devers is an open-the-wallet free agent target. He’s worth a maximum bid, considering he brings a similar ability to stars you might invest in come the July trade deadline, except in this case you’ll get an extra month and a half’s production.

Harrison is an intriguing pickup for the Red Sox, though in a disappointing development, he was immediately optioned to Triple-A Worcester. A top-25 overall prospect as recently as two years ago, Harrison’s spike in average fastball velocity this season (95.1 mph, up from 92.5) could be a signal of better things ahead. Once recalled to Fenway Park, his fantasy prospects would take a hit, as that’s a venue that isn’t forgiving to fly ball-oriented lefties, but he’d be a matchups option nevertheless.

Expect Hicks to serve in setup relief for his new team, though he’d at best be fourth in the Red Sox’s pecking order for saves.

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